Shakira: a Humanitarian singer

In 2005 Shakira was included in the Entertainment Weekly Best of 2005 Entertainers list. Being of South American origin myself I can only feel proud when a fellow South American reaches success and she is recognized worldwide. Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll born in February 1977 in Colombia is one of the best known writer-composer and singers from South America. She has sold more than 50 million discs worldwide. For a complete list of awards won by Shakira you can see the Wikipedia site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Shakira_awards

Not only a singer and dancer, Shakira can speak Spanish, English, Arabic, Italian and French; languages that she has used not only for singing but also for campaigning for the children in need in Colombia, Bangladesh and North America.

A prodigy child who composed her first song at age 8, signed her first contract with Sony Music at 13 and also founded her first foundation to aid children at age 17. For information on her life, music, merchandise, photos, videos and much more you can check her official site

What I want to show you is the other side of Shakira, not the beautiful singer and sensual dancer, but her work to help children not only in Colombia but worldwide because Shakira is an involved person; involved with education, with children and with her people. She might sing in English, share videos with the greatest Spanish and American singers like Alejandro Saenz, Santana or Beyoncé, but she remains a Colombian at heart.

The Pies Descalzos Foundation is a non profit organization founded in 1995 by Shakira. It takes the name from her album Pies Descalzos. The foundation aims to help mainly Colombian children, victims of violence, by providing education, nutrition, health coverage and psychological support. At a very early age she understood that Colombia had to take care of its children because they are the future of the country. The foundation has successfully built schools to feed children in need. Her work was recognized by the ONU in April 2006 when she received a prize for her efforts. She finished her acceptance speech saying “let’s not forget that tonight when we go home there are gong to be 960 children dead in Latin America”. The same year at the Latin Billboard Awards Shakira received the Spirit of Hope Awardin recognition of her work with the Pies Descalzos foundation.

In December 2006, Shakira went even further with her work to save the children and started the ALAS (America Latina Accion Solidaria) foundation with the aid of several other Latin American singers and artists.

To find out how you can help the children in Colombia, please visit www.fundacionpiesdelcazos.com

“I'm Colombian and nothing will change that.”

"Of course I am trying to make my accent not bother anyone, but I am not going to drive myself crazy trying to pretend I am an American girl when I am from Colombia"

“I want some day to be able to love with the same intensity and unselfishness that parents love their children with.”

“In this life, to earn your place you have to fight for it”

“I always believed that women have rights and that there are some women that are intelligent enough to claim those rights. There are some others that are stupid enough not to”

"My belly dancing represents me - it's a trademark. I've tried to incorporate it in original ways in modern songs. But sometimes it bugs me a bit that people resort to (saying) that I'm shaking my ass with a huge sexual charge, instead of recognizing it as a move that, yeah, it's loaded with sensuality, but it's also part of an artistic expression."